Technopole 3 August

We followed the main lake along its eastern edge today, possible with the continuing lowering of the water levels, then wandered back through the market gardens south west of the Sonatel building. Little weaver and white-rumped seedeater in the market gardens are species not observed daily on my usual route.

Last summer’s build-up of 150 sub-adult Audouin’s gulls has not happened this year and today’s two were outnumbered by the now expected four Franklin’s gulls. The Audouin’s pictured above has an unusual combination of adult-type plumage, but a dull, sub-adult type bill. Wader and tern numbers have not obviously changed much, but a ringed plover was my first of the autumn and a typically brief view of a male painted snipe was in the general area, north-west of the Sonatel building, where birds have been seen with some regularity recently.

Header photo: Cap Vert IBA, Dakar

The defunct, twin volcanoes of Mamelles, in Dakar's Ouakam arrondissement, with Cape Verde Shearwaters and Bottle-nosed Dolphins. The rocky coast of Dakar, forming the Cap Vert Important Bird Area, is an outstanding site for seabirds (photo: P. Robinson)